JAMESTOWN, NY (WNY News Now) – With the springtime comes an abundance of wildlife newborns. As a result, the Department of Environmental Conservation has issued a public service announcement saying, “If you care…leave them there!”
It is illegal to keep wildlife as pets. They aren’t well suited for captivity and may carry transferable diseases.
Though people who try to rescue wildlife young have good intentions, their actions often have the opposite effect. Many of the “rescued” animals die soon after.
The young that do survive tend to learn abnormal behaviors at the hands of inexperienced people. These animals can form an attachment to humans which results in being attacked by domestic animals, hit by cars, and becoming nuisances that get into storage containers and trash cans. Upon release, these animals can even be unwelcome amongst their local native species.
The DEC says it’s important that people know what behavior is natural and what to do if it isn’t. In the event that a young wild animal is clearly in need, they say the only correct thing to do is to call the nearest DEC Regional Wildlife Office.
To better understand the natural behaviors of several common wildlife newborns in the area, please visit the DEC article, “Care of Young Wildlife” for more information.
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